Man drives through fence, down embankment into a tree after placing fast food order

Thursday

Jul 6, 2017 at 4:00 AM

By Bobby Warren Staff Writer

WOOSTER -- A man placing an order at the drive-thru of a local fast food restaurant ended up in the hospital with injuries Wednesday after the vehicle he was driving crashed through a wooden fence, traveled down a steep embankment and struck a sturdy tree.

Wooster patrolman Jerome Fatzinger and Nathan Murphy, assistant fire chief, did not have the man's identity at the scene, the corner of Bowman Street and Beall Avenue. The white SUV was registered in one name, and the man, who appeared to be in his 50s or 60s, was a little groggy and gave another name, Murphy said.

The driver was transported to Wooster Community Hospital with injuries, Fatzinger said. At the time, he planned to visit him at the hospital.

A medical issue might have been a factor in the wreck, but it was not known, Murphy said.

Thomas Robinson, who lives next door, heard a crash, and he went to his front door, thinking someone crashed through it. When he found nothing, he went to the back of his house to a wooded area he calls "Route 30 for pedestrians."

When Robinson went to the area, "The fence was messed up and I heard something sizzle," he said. "I thought the vehicle was going to explode. I was a Navy medic, and I am used to things exploding."

As for the noises coming from the vehicle, the Wooster Fire Department was on scene to transport the man and secure the scene. After it appeared there were no hazardous materials leaking and the scene was stable, Murphy released the firefighters from the scene.

Megan Sidel was sitting in her car, which was parked at the restaurant. She heard a loud bang and saw the treetops swaying. "I walked over there, saw the fence was down, and I was really scared," Sidel said. "I was surprised (the vehicle) didn't roll" because of the steep embankment.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com. He is @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter.